Indicator



June 22 1926.

A. J. KEMPIEN INDICATOR Original-Filed Nov. 16, 1914 Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES AUGUST J. KEIPIEN, ST. PAUL, IINNFSOTA.

mnrca'roa.

, vOriginal application filed November 16, 1814, Serial No. 878,409. Renewed December 22, 1916, Serial No. 138,368. Original- No. 1,817,020, dated September 28, 1919. Application tor reiuue med September 17, 1921. Serial I0. 501,451.

The object of this invention is to provide means for indicating when a player commits what is termeda technical foul in the game of bowling, by allowing his or her 6 foot to extend, over and beyond the foul line while any portion of the ,foot rests on the alleyway. Various devices have been designed for accomplishing this result, but they have been found impracticable {or use,

because they are not dependable" and freuently are actuated by the ball which is t rown by the player instead of being operated by the foot, My invention overcomes these objections and provides a simple, in-

expensive and effective device .for accomplishing the desired results.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1. is a plan of a detail of a bowling alley near the players and; Fig. 2 is a section'of a detail taken upon the line X X ofFigure 1; Fig. 3isasection of a detailltaken upon the line Y-Y of Figure 2, and Figure: 4, is a diagram illustrating the electric circuit 'employed. I f p g It is customaryfto employ a foul line near the players end of a bowling alley, and according to the rules and regulations adopted by=players, to penalize, a player, whosteps over said line when throwing a ball, and when an portion of the; foot rests uponthe alley. y invention provides a device, which is placed in the floor of the alley and runwayson the foulline- ,or in proximity thereto, but which is made to operate .so as to indicate automaticallyfbya signal when a player encroachesfu'pon the line sufficiently to become penalized. An ob'ection in the use of .contactdevices',]is that t eball when thrown frequentl comes into contact with the foul line, an operates the indicater when not desired. To overcome this objection, I provide a plurality'iof contact points or spots, contact with oneVof-which 45 is insuflicient to operate thesignal, it becomingnecessary to depresstwo or more of the points in order to cfi'ectthe signal. These points are placed near enough together. so that the foot will operate them, but owing to the curvature of the periphery of the bowling ball, it is impossible for the ball to actuate more than one of the ints at a time, which will not cause the signal to operate.

posed in alinement with the foul'line. strip D can be of suitable color, so as to the foul line and each of the of the strip 1 the ball is which i is sli that various designs embodying the principles employed can be used. A' ind1cate's a plate, which is mortised into and across the surface of the floor, dividin the alley way proper B from the runwa C said plate being set with its surface ush with the surface of said floor to which it is secured by means of the screws 2 or-other suitable means. This plate is formed with a channel '3, extending longitudinal] thereof, in which a strip 'D'made'of rub r, composition, wood or other suitable material is placed, having a series of openings 4 dis- The mark plainly openings 4 s designed to receive the head end of a bushin 5 made'of metal or other suitable materi containing a push piece .in the formof a contact ball 6, the periphery of which pro'ects slightly above the surface and 7 containing the ball. The bushing is form with a seat 7 in its upperend against which grossed firmly by a plunger 8, ably supported to move vertically the passage 9 within the bushing, said plunger being urged upwardly by a spring switch arm 10, which'is formed with a curved end 11, pressing upwardly against a convex surface 12 on t plunger. The body of the switch arm 10 s secured firmly to the body of the plate A, which is set in the mortise groove 3'. The bushing 5 is provided with a circular shoulder 13 seated in the body of the plate A, over which the strip D is positioned to clamp the'bushing firml down in place in the body of the plate. e several contact devices, such as described are of similar construction, and are positioned in a row with the balls 6 upon the foul line. The position in which these contact devices are laced can be varied, and it is not essentia that they be in exact alinement, "it being obvious that they can be staggered or arranged in the end of the Ibushin e lower end of the 'be connected by wiring in any any manner desired, so long as the contact devices are made so that it requires the operation of two or more to efiect the o e r+ ation of the signal, which is employe in conjunction therewith. It will be apparent, that should a layer step'on'any of e contact devices, e alls 6 are depressed, causing the switch arms 10 to be moved downwardly within the groove 14 in the plate A. The corresponding groove 25 below plate A in floor C is designed to contain a pair of bus-bars 15 and 16 acting as conductors for electric current, which is employed from a suitable source such as a batte 17 for o rsting a visual signal 18. T ese busars are so arated by a strip of insulating material 1 said bars being fastened together as a unit by means to be hereinafter described. In the construction shown the switch arms 10- are electrically connected through plate A when the latter is made out of metal. When said plate is made out of insulating material the switch arms 10 can well known manner or through the metallic parts of the mechanism.

Below the free end of each switch arm 10, the head of a contactbolt 20 is spaced, whereby when the balls '6 are depressed the switch arms are forced into connection with the heads of the bolts 20 for the purpose of clos' an electric circuit 22 assing throu the bus-bars, signal and attery. The bolts 20 are arranged in series below the ends of the switch arms 10 and every alternate bolt makes connection with one bus-bar while the adjacent bolt or bolts make connection with the other bus-bar, thereby necessitating two switch arms to be dep simultaneousl into connection with the terminal bolts fore the si al is energized. The bolts are turns into threaded engagement with the bus-bars, and the ones which ass through the busbar 15 and enter the ar 16 serve to clamp the bars with the intervening insulatin strip 19 together. The terminal bolts, whic clamp the terminal bars together are insulated from the bar 15 b insulating material 23. The ends of the us-bars are connected to the ends of the circuit 22, such as by binding screws 24;

In operation should the player happen to m on the foul line two or more of the s will be depressed, causing the corresponding switch arms 10 to be pressed into contact with the heads of the terminal bolts, thus closing a circuit through the signal 18 and indicatin that the layer has exceeded the rules of t e game an committed a technical foul. A technical foul is one in which a player encroaches upon the alley wayJ from the run way more than is permitted y the rules of the e. The si aling device is not opera when the wling ball is thrown by the player and rolled over the foul line; The source of electric energy may be in the form of the battery as illustrated or may be derived from any power circuit or suitable source of electrical current. The signal may be of any form desired, the lamp illustrated being one form of visual signal, which can be employed. Any sound producing signal or other suit able signal maybe used when desired. The apparatus may also be modified, and changed in construction, and need not be used with an electrical aptgaratus, the broad principle involved being e employment of a signal actuating device, in whlch it is necessary to actuate more than one actuating device on the foul line before the signal is operated, leaving the bowling ball which is used by the player free to actuate one .of said devices without affecting the signal.

The device can be constructed with the push elements distributed over any distance across the floor formin the 'alle and run ways or the device can be placed wherever desired, either in the alley way proper or run way proper; Its width may also be varied or the device as a whole can be applied to other uses than with bowling alley wa s.

n accordance with the atent statutes I have described the princip es of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is onlillustrative and that the invention can carried out by other means and ap lied to uses other than those above set fort within the scope of the following claims:

Having. described my invention, what I cdaim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A foul line indicator, comprisin in combination, with a bowling alley wa oor, a series of signal actuating devices having actuating elements positioned on the foul line in said floor and spaced sufliciently apart to prevent the operating of more than one of said actuating devices by a ball rolled over said floor and a signal operatively connected with more than one of said actuating devices rendering it necessary to operate more than one of said actuating devices to energize said signal.

2. In combination with a bowling alley way floor, a series of signal actuating devices placed in said floor in proximity thereto, the oul line and a signal connected with more than one of said actuating devices to be operated by the simultaneous depression of more than one of said actuating devices, leavin said signal unafi'ected by the actuation 0 only one of the actuating devices.

3. In combination with a bowling alley way floor, a series of signal actuating devices along the foul line in said floor, each of said actuating devices consisting of a push piece adapted to be depressed in said floor by an object passing over the floor, a switch associated with said push piece having circuit closing elements cooperating with said 3 push piece to be closed by the depression of the push piece, said switches being connected in series multiple with an electric circuit, whereby it becomes necessary to depress more than one of said push pieces, to energize said circuit, and a signal and source of electric current connected with said circuit.

4. In combination with a bowling alley way floor, a series of push pieces along the foul linein said floor, said push pieces being adapted to be depressed by an object passing over said floor and switch elements associated with said push pieces and adapted to complete the circuit when more than one of said switches is depressed at a time for the purposes specified.

5. A foul line indicator, comprising, in combination, with a bowling alley floor, two cooperating elements, one a signal and the other a series of ush elements assembled along the foul line in said floor and adapted to be de ressed by an object coming into contact t erewith on said floor, said push elements being so connected with said signal as to operate the latter when more than one of said push elements are depressed simultaneously and ineffective upon said signal when operated singly.

6. An alarm device comprisin in combination, a support, a series of pus elements on said support, and an electric signaling circuit having said push elements connected in series therewith, whereby the simultaneous depression of more than one of said push elements is necessary to energize said circuit.

7. In combination with a bowling alley way floor, a series of push elements set in said floor to be depressed by an object passing thereover, and an electric signaling circuit having said push elements connected in series therewith, whereby the simultaneous depression of more than one of said push elements is necessary to energize said circuit.

8. In combination with a floor, circuit closing devices having push elements for efi'ecting their operation exposed on the surface of said floor, and an electric circuit having a multiple connection of series groups of said circuit closing devices, whereby said circuit is adapted to be closed by the depression of all of the push elements of a series of said circuit closing devices and to be unefl'ected by the closing of a single circuit closing device.

9. In combination with a bowling alleyway floor, a signal, and a plurality of foot operating devices connected with said floor and signal, said devices being arranged so that more than one must be operated simultaneously to actuate said signal.

10. In combination with a bowling alley way floor, a signal, and a plurality of yielding foot operating devices connected with said floor and signal, said devices being arranged so that more than one must be depressed siinultaneously to actuate said signal.

11. In combination with a bowling alley wayfioor, a signal and a multiple signal operating device situated adjacent to said floor and arranged so that a plurality of parts must be actuated by a foot simultaneously to operate said signal but so that said parts remain inactive to effect the operation of said signal by a bowling ball passing over them.

12. A signal comprising, in combination, a support, an alarm and a plurality of push elements on said support connected to said alarm and arranged to require the depression of more than one of said push elements to operate said alarm.

13. A signal, comprising, in combination, a support, an alarm and a plurality of push elements on said support connected to said alarm and arranged to require the depression of more than one of said push elements simultaneously to operate said alarm.

14. A'ioul line indicator, comprising, in combination, a support, a signal, and a plurality of actuating devices on said support and connected in grou s with said signal so as when operated sing y to uneifect said signal and when operated in a group to actuate said signal.

15. A foul line indicator, comprising, in combination, a floor, an indicator and groups of actuating devices on said floor arranged not to effect the operation of said indicator unless more than one of the devices constituting a group are operated.

16. In combination with a support, a plurality of push elements arranged sufficiently close together on said support so that the foot can cover more than one at once and means connected with said push elements to be actuated by the simultaneous depression of a plurality of said push elements.

17. In combination with the foul line of a bowling alley including foul indicating means, normally inactive, an actuating mechanism operable at the foul line adapted to indicate a foul only when engaged by an object of a greater area than the contacting surface of a bowling ball.

18. The combination with the foul line of a bowling alley including foul indicating means associated therewith normally inactive for indicating a foul during the act of bowling, said means remaining inoperative by the ball in bowling at all times.

19. The combination with the 'foul line of a bowling alley includin foul indicating means associated therewit normally inacerated only b tive for indicatin a foul, said means being operable by the oot of a bowler and said circuit held open during the rolling of a bowling ball thereover.

20. A device for indicating fouls during bowling, including indicating mechanism norma ly inactive, and rendered active by the closure of an electric circuit, and means for controlling the closing of such circuit, said means being exposed on the foul line of the bowling alley, whereby in bowling said controlling means will. be opan ob'ect of a greater contacting area t ian the owling ball and having an open circuit during the rolling of a bowling ball thereover.

21. In combination with a bowling alley floor, signalling means comprising means for actuating said signal upon the passage of a bowlers foot thereover and for maintaining an open circuit of said signal upon the passage of a bowling ball over said actu- AUGUST J. KEMPIEN. 

